# _Italy Community_ ## ✅ 1958 | The Grounding of the *NM Arnel* on the Island of Santa Maria

## 🌙 Early Morning Disaster On **September 19, 1958**, the *NM Arnel* was on another of its regular routes between the islands of **Santa Maria** and **São Miguel**, carrying **133 passengers** and **25 crew members**, under the command of **Captain José Rodrigues Bernardo**. At around **3 a.m.**, while sailing too close to the shore, the ship **struck a rock formation** known as the **Baixa dos Anjos** (today called **Baixa do Arnel**), tearing a hole near the engine room. Seawater rapidly entered, disabling both the main and auxiliary engines. The vessel was left **immobilized and without electricity**. ## ⚓ The Ship and Its Purpose The *NM Arnel* was built in **1955** at the **Viana do Castelo Shipyards**. It measured **59.57 meters in length** and **10.02 meters in beam**, with a capacity of **18 passengers in tourist class** and **126 in third class**. Like its twin ship, the *NM Cedros*, it belonged to the **Empresa Insulana de Navegação**, tasked with **inter-island maritime transport** in the Azores — previously served by sailing ships. ## 😱 Panic and Tragedy in the Dark Panic quickly spread on board. In the darkness, the **lifeboats were prepared** to send help ashore, but the first attempt ended in disaster. The first lifeboat **capsized**, possibly due to **rough seas**, **overloading**, **poor weight distribution**, or a combination of these. Shortly afterward, the **Clube Asas do Atlântico radio station** broadcast a report that was published the same day in *Diário dos Açores*: > **"The motor vessel Arnel, en route from Santa Maria to Ponta Delgada, ran aground near the Anjos coast. Rough seas have hindered disembarkation. The first barge launched from the Arnel, with about 20 people aboard, sank. Only three survivors washed ashore, and eight bodies of both sexes have been recovered. Operations are now proceeding with calm and order."** > — *Diário dos Açores*, September 19, 1958 ## 🚁 Air Rescue and Maritime Support In response, aircraft and **five helicopters** were dispatched from **Lajes Military Base** on **Terceira Island**, while **rescue vessels**, including a tugboat, departed from **Ponta Delgada** and **Horta**. A **breeches buoy rescue cable** was set up by the **Portuguese Institute for Lifesaving**, although **most passengers and crew were rescued by helicopter**. By **3 p.m.**, all remaining passengers had been evacuated. **The next day**, helicopters returned to recover **passenger luggage**. ## 📰 National Headlines and Fatal Toll On **September 20, 1958**, *Diário de Lisboa* dedicated its front page to the tragedy: > **"The Arnel, carrying passengers to Ponta Delgada, ran aground."** > Subheading: **"Of the 158 people aboard, 10 were confirmed dead and 17 were missing."** The report continued: > **"Attempts were made to evacuate passengers using the lifeboats. One was lowered with around thirty passengers — mostly women and children. The sea struck furiously. With anguish from the deck, the crew watched as waves capsized the boat. Only three reached shore. The first eight bodies were recovered."** > — *Diário de Lisboa*, September 20, 1958 ## 🌊 The Final Drift A few days later, **ocean currents dislodged the *NM Arnel*** from the rock. The ship **floated northward**, eventually **running aground again on nearby coastal rocks**. > **Some remnants of the wreck are still visible today.** > — *Guide to the Underwater Cultural Heritage of the Azores*, 2017, p. 20 ## 📰 A Bizarre Editorial Juxtaposition The **September 20 edition of *Açoriano Oriental*** featured a curious editorial layout: on the **same page**, the paper reported on: 1. A **leisure cruise** from São Miguel to Faial aboard the *Arnel* to witness the **Capelinhos volcanic eruption**, and 2. The **maritime tragedy** involving the same vessel, where **17 people died, went missing, or were injured**. > **Two vastly different events, involving the same ship, reported side by side — a remarkable editorial oversight.** > — *Açoriano Oriental*, September 20, 1958 ## 🧭 Final Notes The grounding of the *NM Arnel* remains one of the most dramatic maritime incidents in Azorean history — a combination of navigational misjudgment, harsh natural forces, and heroic rescue efforts, remembered today both in local memory and in underwater heritage.

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I am sharing photos of landscapes, moments and experiences. Nature and sea are the most visited themes in my photo collection, but any attention-grabbing aspect can be photographed. Hope you enjoy it...

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Category	#italy
Photo taken at	São Miguel Island - Azores

![mt]( ![mt.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQ634p151hy49RJ2wvaWaVnsPXdUUbcDTwziGFodXNSHF/mt.png) )